Meals Made From the Pantry - # 1

Yesterday I went through the pantry looking for items I could incorporate into this week's meal plan.  I am hoping this will help cut my grocery list a bit for this week.  All four recipes require boneless skinless chicken breasts (which happen to be on sale buy one get two free at my local grocery store this week). This is what I found -

1. Skillet Spanish Chicken

This is one of those McCormick spice packets - Kitchen Inspirations in the spice section at the grocery store.  It has been in my pantry for awhile and I decided this week we would try it out.  It also required a can of tomatoes, an onion, peppers, and chicken.  It should be a quick and easy dinner one night this week.

2. General Tso's Chicken Stir Fry with Fried Rice

I found this sauce packet, fried rice packet, and bottle of soy sauce.  I had a coupon for the Simply Asia sauce packet about a month or so ago and that's how it ended up in our pantry.  I plan on making some rice in our rice cooker for the fried rice.  I will use chicken, broccoli, and snap peas in the stir fry. 

3. Chicken Broccoli Alfredo Stuffed Shells

This Newman's Own Alfredo sauce will be used in this recipe.  I got this recipe and the photo above from the Eat at Home blog.  I came across this recipe a few months ago and have been anxious to make it.  I will serve it with garlic bread and a salad.  Doesn't it look amazing?

4.  Santa Fe Chicken Casserole

A friend of mine hosted a Philadelphia Cooking Creme party at her house.  I wasn't able to attend, but she gave me some coupons to try the product as well as a recipe booklet.   I had some black beans from Trader Joe's in the pantry that I could easily throw into this recipe.  The Philadelphia Cooking Creme comes in 4 varieties.

Do you ever create meals out of random things you have in your pantry?

Friday Confessional

I am linking up for the first time for Friday Confessional today.  Click on the picture below to view the other confessionals and to link up your own.

 I confess that yesterday at work I had visions of getting up, walking out and never coming back.  I am sorry to say I didn't do it.   I confess that I know I need to work when we move to Rhode Island this summer and I haven't done much in the way of job hunting. I confess that I was somewhat secretly happy Madison was diagnosed with strep throat last night.  For one, I knew she would get antibiotics to feel better. For two, I knew I would get a nice sick note requiring me to stay home from work today to care for her.  By the way, she is starting to feel better.
I confess that our garage may possibly look like an episode of Hoarders and me MUST go through it before we move.
 
I confess that this morning I may have cried at the finale of Top Chef when they announced the winner.  Then at One Born Every Minute when the 22 year old mother pregnant for the third time, gave her twins up for adoption to a family who had been trying to have a baby for 13 years.  I did not however cry at the Jersey Shore Reunion I watched before finally getting out of bed.
 
I confess that I would love to add cute little photos to my confessions...but just don't feel like it.
 
Go ahead...share your confessions...

FREE Canvas Deal through Wink Flash

Ever since my wedding photos came in I have been obsessed with canvas prints.  I have purchased and used Groupons to get 2 canvas prints that are 16x24 that are hanging in my living room!!  These are the two I already have -

Today I got an email from Winkflash for a free 8x10 canvas for new customers.  I have never used them before...but I will be ordering a canvas from them this evening.  Check out the deal HERE if you are interested or use code MYFREECANVAS at checkout.  

 If you make one, leave a comment and let me know what photo you used.  You have until April 4th to make your canvas.

Here are the photos I am deciding from.  Let me know which one you like best -

Miscellany Monday

Miscellany Monday

linking up with Carissa over at lowercase letters

1. Baking

Yesterday I made Heath Bar Cookies .  I used about 3/4 a bag of the Heath bits and then added a 1/2 a bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips.  Some of the comments said they didn't turn out too good...but mine were amazing.  I love baking my cookies in a muffin top pan.   I love baking and continue to plan my bakery business.

2. Reading or Lack Thereof

I am a teacher.  I so should be reading more than I do.  Every time I sit down to read... I get distracted by a TV show or a blog.  It's horrible.  I need to be better about this.  I have The Help, Beth Moore's So Long Insecurity,  and Parenting Teens with Love and Logic all needing to be read.

3. House Hunting

We are still house hunting via the Internet from our home in Virginia.  It stinks.  Most of the houses are a lot more money than what we are paying now.  We see things that catch out eye, but we refuse to commit to anything without seeing it in person.  We go in April for an official house hunting trip.  My fingers are crossed we find something we love. I am all about something VERY affordable...as I have dreams of one day soon not having to work.   Here is a cute little one we are interested in -

 

4. Cooking & Our Budget

For the sake of our wallets... I am trying really hard each week to create meal plans and shopping lists to eat more at home.  I have been cutting coupons and trying to shop sales.  It is hard.  I feel like grocery prices are so expensive.  I am also trying to use coupons or Groupons when we go out to eat.  For instance, last Friday we went to Friendly's for dinner.  We had a buy one get one free coupon - which meant my meal was free.  We saved around $9...which was a pretty good deal.



Easy Homemade Peanut Butter Banana Bread Recipe

I made this delicious recipe last week.  I thought it was amazing.  I took a standard banana bread recipe and threw in a huge scoop of reduced-fat Jif peanut butter.  I cannot wait to make it again.  No more boxed banana breads for me...this will be my new go to banana bread recipe.  If peanut butter isn't your thing, feel free to omit it.  If you end up making this, please leave a comment and let me know.  I would love to hear your thoughts.

Here is the recipe -

Ingredients -

 1  and 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup of white sugar
2 eggs - slightly beaten
3 large, ripe bananas - mashed
1/4 cup melted butter
3/4 cup peanut butter - slightly melted (about 30 seconds in the microwave)

Directions - 

Grease a standard size loaf pan.  Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  In a bowl whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, and sugar.  Mix in the slightly beaten eggs, mashed bananas, and peanut butter.  Stir in the melted butter.  Pour into the prepared pan.  Bake for 50 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean from the center.  Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove it from the pan and continue to allow it to cool completely on a cooling rack.

* I used the spray butter/flour combo to spray in my pan
* I used a Pampered Chef loaf pan
* I used Jif reduced fat peanut butter

A Friday Funny

 I had to laugh this afternoon when my co-worker, a male in his forties, came over to show me a note a student handed him in class.  He was blushing... I don't think he was expecting this note when he opened it up {I used a blue marker to cover the names}-

My Thursday via Blackberry Photos

After a very rough 90 minute class with my 5th bell I treated myself to to this yummy snack on my break.  A slice of the yummy homemade peanut butter banana bread I made last night.  I let Madison be in charge of the bananas.  Once I put the loaf in the oven and looked over where we keep the bananas, I realized she used 3 new organic (the store was out of the regular ones) bananas.  The 3 brown bananas I had intended for the bread were still on the counter.  By the way... I love Cherry Coke Zero.

I came home to find my new magazine subscription had arrived of Food Network Magazine.  I love cooking and baking and I love magazines...so I added this to my cart the last time I was ordering from Amazon.  I cannot wait to read it.

This morning I put this carnitas recipe into the crock pot.  I love this recipe because it requires just a few ingredients, cooks all day while I am at work, and my entire family enjoys it.  We use the filling to make soft tacos with all of the fixings with a side of Spanish rice.  My husband may or may not have had 5 soft tacos for dinner tonight...it was that good.  You should also make it because it is a recipe from Kelle Hampton - who is an amazing woman with a pretty fabulous blog.  If you have never read her blog, you must grab some tissues for some happy tears and start with this post .

Monday FUN Day - Shopping, Food, & a Crazy Mom at Panera



Madison and I went shopping at Garden Ridge with my mom yesterday.  We didn't find much.  A lot of it seem overpriced.  I did see these cupcake canvas paintings for $14.95 which I liked...would be great in a bakery one day...I could also probably make them myself.

Madison thought this monkey was hilarious and posed for a photo beside it.

Next, we headed to Panera for lunch.  YUM!  I love their toffee nut cookie and plan on re-creating it at home very soon.  Madison had her usual Panera meal - a plain bagel with plain cream cheese.

Sitting near us was a mom with a newborn in an infant carrier.  When her food order was ready...she left the baby at her table...and went up to get her food and was gone for several minutes where the baby was not in her view.  My mom and I were stunned.  Two additional times during lunch she left the baby unattended at the table.  SCARY!!  I guess she wasn't aware that people KIDNAP babies!!  She could have asked a stranger to keep an eye on the baby OR asked a stranger to get her food for her - sheesh...I know I would have.

Miscellany Monday

I am linking up over at lowercase letters today for miscellany monday.

1. No work Monday

My mom came into town yesterday for work.  Madison and I both stayed home from school today to hang out with her.  Our plan is for some lunch (hopefully Chipotle) and shopping in a bit.  I also need to go to the grocery store (which I neglected to go to yesterday).  It is raining and thundering now and I am REALLY hoping my power doesn't go out.

2. Cookies

I made an order of jumbo chocolate chip cookies last night for an order my husband took at this job.  I also made  some regular sized ones too.  I used a new recipe and these were AMAZING.  I love when I make something and impress myself.

3. Catching up on some TV

After my husband left for work this morning I couldn't fall back asleep.  So I caught up on an episode of The Real Housewives of Orange County and an episode of One Born Every Minute. 

4. A future art project

SOURCE

I picked up the materials at the local arts and crafts store last night to make this art project that I read about on the blog, Two Girls Being Crafty.  It is a knock-off of a piece sold at a popular store. Canvases were 50% off so I chose two 8x8 canvases to attempt this project.  If all goes well...I will share the results soon.  Isn't it so neat? 

A Super Saturday

This morning we slept in until almost 10 AM...which I hardly ever do.  Today's weather was amazing.  We  decided to take a drive down to Nags Head, North Carolina (something we have been discussing for weeks).  After a quick stop at Wawa for gas and some snacks...we were on our way.

Our first stop was lunch at Mulligans.  Chris and I ate there back when we were dating and really enjoyed it.  So we drove until we hit it and then stopped for lunch. 

Then we headed to a spot where we could walk on the beach.

Then we stopped at a place called Ben Franklin.  I worked at a place called Ben Franklin which was an arts and crafts store...which is what we thought it was when we stopped.  This Ben Franklin was a touristy t-shirt and souvenir shop.  I thought it was filled with a lot of junk until I came across this piece of art and just had to have it.  My husband and I decided we will use it to decorate a bathroom when we move this summer.  I love it.  I love all of the bright colors and the alphabet theme.  Best of all...it was $19.99.

Madison has been asking for a few weeks to go to Rita's Ice.  So we found one and stopped.  She had a blue raspberry ice.

Our last stop before heading home was a huge gift shopped called the Cotton Gin.  Seriously the place kept going and going.  Maddie ended up with a super cute pair of flip flops that were marked down to $18.00 and I ended up finding the wallet to match the Vera Bradley bag I got for Christmas.  My mom and I had looked everywhere for it and hadn't been able to find it.  I was so happy to find it at this store.